Unreal Tournament III on PS3 is mod-heaven. People are going bananas! But what about the Xbox 360? Microsoft previously stated it wasn't up for allowing mods. Where do they stand now, pre-release? Let's ask Mark Rein. Mark?
We're still trying. We're working with Microsoft to try to figure out how to support it, but regardless of what happens, mods will play a part somewhere along the line. We'll make sure we get a fair share of mods working. We'll figure that out.
Without allowing mods, Microsoft really seems to be missing a lot, no?
Mark Rein Interview [CVG]











Comments
Meh, I played the PS3 version. Not holding my breath for the 360 version. We have enough shooters anyways.
Yay? Maybe? At least he says he's doing something.
there was DLC available for bioshock so why not?
"Were there any other challenges in getting the game up and running on the 360, particularly the new split-screen mode?"
Ooo, didn't know about that. Hopefully you can play split screen on Live with only one Gamertag, as with Halo 3.
I think the only way to really do it is to either find some way of warping Media Connect to allow pulling of mods or simply creating a dongle that plugs into your computer like a DexDrive. God, how I miss the DexDrive.
It'll happen, and the best part about it is that it will open the door for further user-generated content on the 360. Of course, that content will undoubtedly have Microsoft's Stamp of Approval, so you're not going to get the same level of variety you would get with a PC or PS3.
Anyone else not give a shit about this game?
On a system CLOGGED by top-tier shooters, UT3 is nowhere on my radar.
Devote those resources to Gears 2, fellas.
I couldn't care less if the 360 gets em or not. Got my PS3 for UT3. All I want is for Epic to set some sort of precedent for future games. I wish Oblivion(on consoles) would have supported user mods... if only for the more attractive female models. Maybe Fallout 3 will allow us to add whatever content we feel like. There may not be something to add to every game, but I at least like to know that I can if I want to. Listen up developers!
I wonder how many Microsoft Points mods will cost?
@yourenzyme: Ditto on Oblivion. I ended up buying the PC version long after I beat the game and the expansion on the 360 just to play with the character mods. Bethesda needs to take a hint from their community and get good at making attractive characters. ;)
Also, totally unrelated to this post - woot, I got my star! :D
Correction. My PS3 is NOT specifically for UT3, but I have it for it. Just thought I'd clarify
If mods are that important why would you buy a game on a console?
I have UT3 for PS3 also, but i hope the Xbox360 supports mods because it may open doors for other games to have user generated content.
@dunetiger : the mekuri master: Gratz! Me too!
@Topic: UT3 is one of those games that I want to succeed, but only I seem to care about it. Its a great game! Fast, arcadey fun! It has vehicles!
Aww, forget it.
@akashhhhh:
I didn't UNTIL these mods came about. This stuff is so cool.@
href="#c5350365">yourenzyme:
Love your pic.
@One Way Mule: 10 years ago this question would be valid. But this day and age why the hell shouldn't our consoles be able to handle a couple of mods?
If Microsoft's strategy with mods is similar as their strategy with online multiplayer, we will probably end up paying money for user-created content again
@akashhhhh: I couldn't care less!
I do support user generated content, though.
@One Way Mule: Because my console can do the mods...
I think what epic's gonna do is release all the most popular ORIGINAL content mods (no lego, no Master Chief) and that may mean some of the weird ones (Flat / bathroom / bedroom wars) but none of the potentially troublesome ones (troublesome for them to give their official approval to, such as anything copyrighted or potentially offensive)
The PS3 will have ALL the mods, and that will remain its advantage.
@One Way Mule:
Obviously from someone that has no idea how easy it is to load UT3 mods on a PS3 and once loaded how much fun they are. How about because mods are free and they are a damn good time.
I have over 50 free maps on my system, Action Cam, and a ton of other mutators.
I dont see MS budging on true mods for the game. I can see Epic setting up a sort of system where users submit good mods (or port good ones from PC/PS3) and then "sign off" on them that they are legit, and release them as free DLC...
Where in the hell is the Jack Thompson character Mod!? Put that in and people will buy the game just to blow his face-off!
@CoinSlot: But GTA is ruining the youth of today. It's training them all to be professional assassins. Glorious Ninjs!
I wish that would actually happen.
The one mod I would really like to see for this title would enable all the melée weapon functionality and acrobatics from Unreal Championship II: The Liandri Conflict. I enjoyed that game a lot-- it simply had the misfortune of coming out relatively near the end of the lifespan of a system that was intentionally obsoleted as soon as the 360 was released. Oh, and it also had very nearly unplayable splitscreen multiplayer, because of the game's very rapidly panning horizontal and vertical motion (frequently your character would wind up momentarily completely offscreen!)
Still, melée worked really well, and I'd love to see it get another chance to shine.
yourenzyme a Jack Thompson Mod would better our kids aim :)
I would like to see Microsoft support mods for UT3, but this is the way I see them happening:
1) Some guy makes really cool mod X.
2) Epic "cooks" the mod for Xbox 360 and submits it to Microsoft for approval.
3) Microsoft releases mod X on Live for something ridiculous like 400 MS points.
4) The UT3 community ignores mod X because in the 4 weeks it's taken to be approved by Microsoft, mod X has become passe and now the new hotness is mod Y. Go to step 1.
Alternately:
1) No one buys UT3 in the first place because there are too many other, better shooters out. So the mod point is moot.
i think ut3 fans will now be gettng a ps3
I'm still quite amused how console players are just now catching up to what PC gamers have been doing for years and years.
I think UT (from what I've seen at least) is really one of those shooters that relys on mods to keep things interesting. UT is still my favorite twitch shooter but I have to admit TF2 is looking really really really really REALLY tempting....like "I'm willing to put down the eye patch and actually pay money for this one" tempting.
If they don't get FREE mods...hear that microsoft? FREE!...then I believe the game will be a pretty big flop on the 360 (though from what I can tell it's really not doing all that great on ps3 or pc either lol)
How unexcited am I for this game on 360 now?
I'd say, very unexcited. Shouldn't we all be playing it on PC anyways? I guess I never bothered to look very much up about UT3 because it was too far off my radar.
I know they're cool, but mods seem out of place in today's console market to me. One of the things about consoles that I appreciate is their closed nature. In fact, it's really the only thing that differentiates them from PCs. There really aren't many things to worry about with consoles (like viruses). I appreciate that Microsoft is being resistant here. I was really worried, when they entered the console world, that they'd end up transforming it into the PC market and their first few steps seemed to suggest just that (hard-drives, subscription services, patches, etc.), but now I'm a happy 360 owner who's only gripes on this particular subject are as follows:
1. Games are being patched when they should be complete upon launch.
2. There are too many people fighting Microsoft to do what I always feared they would.
Please stop fighting them and, instead, support either the PC or PS3 version if this is important to you. Let Microsoft learn the hard way if that's the way you feel.
am i weird if i dont really want mods, custom characters, or custom maps? theres always been something weird about mods, something that made them feel like they werent well made. i still notice this when playing counter-strike...
@Xeros606: lol... Counter-Strike WAS a mod.
@Xeros606: Wait... think I mis-read. If you were implying that EVEN Counter-Strike felt weird, then I apologize.
@Raziel:
yup, thats what i meant. no need to apologize, im not one to nitpick on finer details (the sky isnt blue, its azure, dammit, azure!) anyways thats really what all mods feel like to me, i guess its because the people who make them arent exactly artists (which btw is important if you want to be a game dev.) the only mod that ever felt natural was... well i dont remember its name, but its this russian mod for half life that was released around dec 2007. i remembered this one for feeling like a cross between cod 4 and stalker. anyone with hl (steam compliant or not) should check it out, its has some great graphics considering it was made on the half life engine (bump mapping on goldsource? wtfh4x!)
the mod is called paranoia for anyone whos still reading and is interested in the hl mod.
"Without allowing mods, Microsoft really seems to be missing a lot, no?"
Well, nothing much springs to mind to be honest...
No mods, no buy.
Mods, probably still no buy because TF2 is the only FPS I need right now.
I still consider mods the most important feature of the console UT3. You almost come to expect it from the PC title but mods for console? That really separates games and makes UT3 unique and not having it in the 360 version will only hurt it [i feel].
I don't think Microsoft will really lose anything at the end of the day. I'm sure reviewers will be rather critical over the 360 versions lack of it but won't hurt sales to much overall.
I really hope Mark Rein, like everything he says, is working hard to bring 360 owners mod content. Microsoft really should be helping him, rather than hindering him. I'm not going to "whine" but i personally won't be buying the game without mod support. Splitscreen isn't my thing.
It all comes down to Microsoft wanting to make money off DLC.
So he wants to make mods work for Xbox, but he doesn't wanna make split screen happen for PS?
Lame.
As I've understood it, mods are ok, but only if Epic handles an approval process...
Without the mods UT3 isn't worth owning. UT's game-play makes Halo's look as deep as the Marianas Trench (and this coming from someone who thought Halo 2's multiplayer was pretty much a UT2k3 clone).
@SofaKingHI: Funny, but probably a lot of "truth" in that comment. I do applaud Sony for allowing mods, and as much as I hope MS changes its tune and follows SOny's lead in this, I seriously doubt they would allow it. Everything about the 360 is locked down and I really do not believe MS will change their ways and make things less expensive/more open to consumers - especially with user generated content.
I remember a Cheapassgamer podcast where they wanted to have gamer tags/pix for the 360 and give them out for free on the Marketplace. But guess who mandates a "minimum" charge for content? Nevertheless, no "free" tags/pix from CAG made it to market. Oh well.
@kiigan:
free creative content outside of the game's original design perhaps?
@ TheCleaningGuy: you aren't alone. was having a great time playing online just last njght. the old solid snake mod is available and looks great.
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i don't think MS will allow it for free. shame, mods open up a lot of great possibilities. with the new UT2D mod and the samus mod, you get a great idea of how a 2D UE3 powered Metroid would look. no word on mkb support for 360?
They should just release all the mods, they're not gonna get sued cos it's user created mods and they're just allowing users to breach copyright.
Anyway I don't even want this game but if it got mods to allow me to look like other characters I'd be a lot more interested.
From what I've gleamed from the conversations over the following months, it sounds like Microsoft wants Epic to virtualize the way the UE3 reads mods so it can't harm the system or access privileged information which is fine by me. This effort may be the reason that it's taking so long to get the UE3 engine on the 360 which is also fine by me. I'm not to crazy about Epics hand in this whole mess as I'd rather have them speak when they're ready to announce something. Mark has put on the "I care" hat after his flippant behavior last holiday after the PS3 unreal shipped. He seriously needs to stop that because no none believes he has Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft by the balls regardless of how popular the UE3 engine is.
i think if they want to do this, midway are going to have to take responsibility for it. they will probably need to submit it for approval just the same as any other dlc, meaning that 360 owners would get the content, but at a much slower rate, and only after it has proven itself well enough for epic to take notice. i don't think this option would be in epic's best financial interests though.
The day that Microsoft allows user-generated mods is the day that they accept Blu-Ray as the one true hi-definition format! They will never bow down to Sony, not even by making their customers happy!
Honestly, with Gears 2 coming in November I don't even know why Epic is bothering with UT3 on the 360. I imagine it will get lost in the shuffle between GTAIV and Gears 2. Then again, 360 owners buy a shit load of games so maybe it makes sense. I know I won't be picking it up. Halo 3 and CoD4 are enough shooter for me and GTAIV is going to dominate my gaming time for the forseeable future.
I hope mods will be allowed in some way or another. It would really open the door for future game development.
Who fucking cares about mods on consoles anyway? This seems like such a waste of time. Seriously, 90% of mods are total garbage anyway.
You want mods, go play PC like everyone else who uses mods.
Oh and UT3 is total crap anyway.
If this game was a system seller on the PS3 then Microsoft may have been forced to make concessions. As it stands though, the majority of PS3 owners weren't lured by the use of mods.
America:
[vgchartz.com]
Others:
[vgchartz.com]
This whole "you want to use mods play your games on the PC" is total horse shit. Yes we've all been able to do it on the pc for years, but why should we not be able to add user created content? That, paired with developer DLC will greatly extend the life of the games we purchase.
I don't understand why some of you are so hostile towards the idea of mods on consoles.
User created content almost always sucks, that's why.
I'd rather MS put their efforts elsewhere in regards to the 360 than allowing user content.
Take Forza 2 for example. You could do custom paint jobs on your cars and display/sell them at the in game auction. At first, the cars were cool. Then you started getting cars with dicks all over them or naked anime chicks spreading their legs on the hood. Pretty soon, you could even look in the auctions without seeing porn cars.